On the 19th December 2006 the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM presented the seventh IZM Research Award for outstanding achievement in assembly and interconnection technology. This year’s winners were Dr. Martin Schneider-Ramelow and Dr. Bernhard Wunderle from Fraunhofer IZM Berlin.

Dr. Schneider-Ramelow was recognized for his work in the advanced development of wire-bonding technologies for the manufacture of high-reliability components. His group’s research on material characterization of the junction between bond wire and pad metallization and, in particular, of bond wire during the wire-bonding process, has initiated new directions in research on wire-bonding technology internationally.

Dr. Wunderle’s area of specialty is material characterization and reliability prediction, as well as thermal management of microelectronic systems by means of experiment and simulation. He received this year’s Research Award for his work on the mechanical and thermal reliability of package assemblies in the micro-nano-transition area.

The award was presented by Fraunhofer IZM's Director, Professor Herbert Reichl, on the 19th December 2006 as part of a celebratory colloquium in the Italian Courtyards in the Spandau Citadel.